Cabinet



Oct. 18, 1932.

B. F. FoRsYTH 1,883,776

CABINET Filed Sept. 9, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNITED s'rifrlszsl PATENT ort-lcs BENJAMIN FRANKLIN FORSYTH, F

GHIC'AGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB 0F ONFrTHIBD TO ESSEA E. GORDAN AND ONE-THIRD TO EDMUND J'. FORSYTH, BOTH 0F CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS GABINE'r Application led September9, 1931. Serial No.v561,898.

This invention relates to cabinets, and`has for its object to produce a handy device for the storage of sorted or classified articles so that convenient access may be had thereto, and which is adaptable .for many uses and may be constructed on the same principle in a range of several different sizes. Other partieular objects and advantages to be attained will hereinafter more fully appear.

The inventionv consists more particularly in the novel arrangement of a series of cooperat ing rotary containers within a supporting frame or housing, and in the individual parts as hereinafter described and pointed out with particularity in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification and illustrating a practical adaptation of the invention,-

Fig. lis a front elevation of the device;

Fi 2 is a vertical section taken on or about the l1ne 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3`is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the rotary containers in opened condition;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, taken on or about the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section, illustrating a modification of the rotary container;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section, illustrating antther modication of the rotary container; an

Fig. is a similar view, illustrating a further modication.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 10 designatesthe end members of a supporting frame or housing, which are connected at their lower ends by the cross membersll and 12, saidend members having baseezitensions 13 which are arched, as at 14, so that their end ortions 15 andthe forward under portions 16 of thevend members 10 afford supporting feet for the structure. As shown more clearly ginal portions,

in Figs. 2 and 3, the end members 10 are inclined, and secured to their top and rear marand to the upper edge portions of the extensions 13, is an enclosing plate 17. As shown, the end members 10 and cross connecting 'members` 11, 12, may be constructed of wood and the enclosing plate 17 of sheet metal. However, the supporting frame or housing may be constructedof any suitable material and in an approved manner.

Mounted rotata ly about horizontal axes 'within the supporting frame or housing is a cooperative tier of containers 18 which are ofA general cylindrical form, each comprising circular end members 19 and a semi-cylindrical shell or Wall member 20 whose opposite end portions are secured about the circumferences of the end members 19 and, as shown, extend a little more than half way around the end members so as to afford an opening between the edge portions 21 and 22 and extending from end member to end member, thereby producing a channeled receptacle, access to which is had through said opening when the receptacle is turnedto a given position, as will be pres ently more fully set forth.

As with the supporting frame or housing structure, the end members 19 ofthe containers may be made of wood and the shell or wall member of sheet metal, or, said parts may constructed of any other suitable material. For some uses the containers 18 may be lined, as at 23, with felt or any other padding material suitable for the purpose. rlhev pivotal mounting of the containers 18 may be accomplished through any approved and desirable means. As shown, studs or bolts 24 are inserted through alined apertures provided therefor in the end frame members 10 and end members 19, thebolts or studs being secured in place by nuts 25 provided on their screw-threaded inner end portions 26. As shown more clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the end portions 26 of the bolts or studs 24 are reduced in diameter so as. to afford shoulders against which the nuts 25 are tightened when applied, and said nuts are preferably knurled circumferentially, or, obviously, they may be formed polygonally or otherwise for the application of a wrench.

As shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3,

practical manner as shown Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive.

members 19 of the containers 18 are provided stops for limiting the closing movement of the several containers 18 an to effectively close the cabinet against entrance of dust. That is to say, the flange 28 of the uppermost container 18 is engageable with a downturned flange 29 extending across the forward edge of the upper portion of the enclosing plate 17, while the flanges 28 of the lower containers 18 respectively engage the circumferential portion of the container-next above, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. In the opened condition of the containers 18 the flange 27 of the uppermost container engages the inner face of the top portion of the enclosing plate 17, and the flanges 27 of the lower containers respectively engage the circumferential portion of the shell or wall member 20 of the container next above.

Obviously, the several rotary containers 18 may be separately opened, but it is preferable to provide means for opening and closing all of the containers 18 simultaneously. This may be accomplished in a simple and in the drawings, As shown, the end With radial ears 3() adjacent to the flanges 28, and pivotally connected to said ears, as.

at 31, is a link element 32, by which arrangement the entire series of containers 18 are simultaneously opened and closed, and the actuation being effected by applying power to any one of the containers to rotate it about its axis. As shown, a handle member 33 is provided on the flanged portion 28 of the second container 18 from the bottom of thetier. Obviously, however, the handle 33 may be provided on any one or all of the other containers, and the pivotal connecting link arrangement 32, which is indicated only at one end of the cabinet, may be duplicated at the opposite end.

In some cases the semi-cylindrical containers 18 will be complete as shown in Figs. 2

' and 3, and either with or without the padded lining 23, but in other cases the containers may be provided with supplemental self-leveling trays or supports 34, as illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, said supplemental trays or supports being provided for the reception of the articles placed within the container and always maintaining a level position in the opened and closed positions of the semicylindrical body of the container and during l opening and closing movements thereof.

As shown in Fig. 5, the supplemental tray or support 34 comprises a flat plate-like body portion, the ends of which are upturned and flanged, as at 35,.and provided with hooked extensions 36 which are pivotally engaged over the supporting spindles or studs 24, said trays or supports 34 being normally suspended clear of the semi-cylindrical shell or wall member 20 and constituting a false bottom for the container which is self-leveling under the weight of the contained articles. Preferably, tlie longitudinal margins of the plate 34 are flanged, as at 37, said flanges being preferably curved corresponding to the curvature of the shell or wall member 20, but

normally out of contact therewith. So, too, the tray or supporting member 34 may be weighted, as at 38, on its under side.

In Fig. 6 the supplemental tray or supporting member 34 is modified in that its end portions are provided with hanger brackets 39 which are upwardly tapered and are provided with eye portions or loops 40 which are pivotally journaled on the bolts or studs 24, which afford the pivotal bearings for the respective containers 18. In this modification the sup-A on an arcuate trackway 42 provided therefor on the inner face of the semi-cylindrical shell or Wall ymember 20, by which arrangement the weight of the tray or support 34 is distributed and balanced, it permitting the selfleveling action of the device during opening and closing movements of the container 18.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 7 the hanger features 35 and 39 are dispensed With and the rollers 41 riding on the trackway 42 are alone depended upon to maintain the supplemental tray or support 34 in level position.

Obviously the device of the present invention may be produced on either a relatively large or small scale, and the structure modified in many respects without in the least departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown in the accompanying drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cabinet comprising an upwardly and rearwardly inclined upstanding supporting frame including end wall members and a top and rear enclosing plate, affording an open front housing a plurality of cooperatively superposed semi-cylindrical containers rotatable about horizontal axes within said housing, said containers being ported at their ends on the end wall members of the housing frame, the front longitudinal marginal portions of the lower semi-cylindrical containers being flanged whereby to engage the circumferential faces of the next above adjoining containers and a correspondingly formed portion of the uppermost con` tainer engaging a flanged stop portion on said housing frame thereby7 to limit the closengaging the top portion of the enclosing plate to limit the opening movement of said containers and determine the opened position thereof, and means for simultaneously actuating said containers in both opening and closing directions.

. 2. A cabinet comprising an upstanding sup-- porting frame including upwardly and rearwardly inclined end well members having rearwardly baseextensions alfording a stabilizing rest for the cabinet, a top and rear enclosing plate secured marginally to the top and rear edge portions of said end wall members and including the base extensions thereof, a plurality of cooperatively rsuperposed semi-cylindrical containers having longitudinally elongated rectangular openings, sai containers comprising circular end 'members to which semi-cylindrical wall members are attached peripherally'thereof, fthe front longitudinal marginal' portions of the semicylindri'cal walls of said containers being flanged radially to engage the circumferential portions of next above adjoining containers rearwardly as to the lower contianers and a longitudinal stop angel on the top portion of said enclosing plate as to the uppermost container, the rear marginal portions of the semi-cylindrical walls of said containers being flanged whereby to engage circumferentialportions of next a ove adjoining containers as to the lower containers and also a part of the top portion of said enclosing plate as tothe uppermost container thereby to limit the opening movement of the container and determine thed opened position thereof. v

3. A cabinet comprising an upstanding supporting frameI includinghupwardly and inclined endv wall members having rearward base extensions aording va stabilizing rest for the cabinet, an enclosing plate secured marginally to the-top and rear edge portions of said end wall members and including the base extensions thereof, a plu- -rality of cooperatively superposed semicylindrical containers comprising circular end members to which semi-cylin rical wall members are attached peripherally thereof, the front longitudinal marginal portions of thesemi-cylindrical walls of said containers being flanged radially to engage the circumferential portions o next above adjoining containers as to the lower containers and a longitudinal stop ange on said enclosing plate as to the uppermost container, the rear marginal ortions of the semi-cylindrical walls of said containers being fianged whereby to engage circumferential portions of being iianged whereby to engage the next above adjoining containers as to the lower containers and also a art of the enclosing plate thereby to-limit t e opening movementof the containers'and determine the opened position thereof', and a link element pivotally attached to the respective containers whereby to effect simultaneous opening and closing actuation of the containers.

4. A cabinet comprising a supporting frame, a semi-cylindrical container mounted rotatably onv said supporting frame within said cabinet, the axis of said container being in a vhorizontal plane, and a self-leveling supplemental tray within said container, said supplemental tray being pivotally suspended about an axis coincident with the axis of rotation of said container. i

5. In a cabinet of the character described, a semi-cylindrical container mounted rotatably about a horizontal .axis in said cabinet and a self-leveling independently movable supplemental article holder comprising a tray suspended in said container from an axis cod inciding with the axis of the container.

6. In a cabinet of the character described, a semi-cylindrical container mounted rotatably about a horizontal axis in said cabinet, a self-leveling independently movable supplemental article holder comprising a tray suspended in said container from an axis coinciding with the axis of the container, an arcuate trackway in said container, and roller elementsin said ltray cooperatively engaging said trackway for guiding and supporting said tray.

7. Inv a cabinet of the character described, a semi-cylindrical container mounted rotatably about a horizontal axis in said cabinet, a supplemental tray mounted independently movable in said container, an arcuate trackway in said container, and roller elements on said supplemental tray cooperatively engaging said trackway with anti-friction supporting and guiding effect, whereby said supplemental tray is self-leveling in any rotative position of the container.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. v

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN FORSYTH.v 

